Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was unable to visit his dying mother in her final weeks because he obeyed coronavirus restrictions against visiting care homes.
Unlike Boris Johnson's top aide Dominic Cummings, the Netherlands' premier stuck to strict rules imposed – by his government – to curb the spread of the disease.
Mr Rutte announced the death of 96-year-old Mieke Rutte-Dilling in a care home on May 13, nearly two months after his office banned care home visits on March 20.
Paying tribute to her, Mr Rutte, 53, said: "In addition to the great sadness and all fond memories, my family and I also have a feeling of gratitude that we were allowed to have her with us for so long."
He revealed he "said goodbye to her in a family circle" before imposing the country's lockdown on March 20.
Mr Rutte even attended a Cabinet meeting about the coronavirus on the day of his mother's death.
Asked if the Dutch PM had stuck to rules meaning he was unable to see his mother before she died, Mr Rutte's spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has complied with all directives”.
While his mother did not die of Covid-19, there had been an outbreak of the disease in the home where she was living.
Thousands of families across Britain have been unable to visit relatives, including those who are dying, because of strict rules designed to halt the spread of coronavirus.
